Even before COVID began, enrolment in online courses was on the rise. With the restrictions we’ve seen, and the advent of telecommuting, the distance learning model is growing fast, and distance learning is becoming the new norm.
So, perhaps you have a project to digitize your training courses, or you’re simply getting ready to ride the wave of online courses as an entrepreneur?
In this article, we’ll give you all the information you need to create your first online course with WordPress, and why not sell it on the web?
Digital Learning solutions are numerous… MOOC, SPOC, COOC, LMS,… So, we’re going to concentrate on the LMS (Learning Management System) since it’s the most complete solution available to us, and good news WordPress is not to be outdone in offering excellent solutions.
They’ll adapt to your specific needs, since the platform always offers great flexibility.
What is an LMS?
An LMS refers to the acronym : Learning Management System. Learning stands for learning, training; Management stands for the management and organization of online training courses, participant management, and so on. Finally, System means that we use computer software to set up our courses.
LMSs are used in a multitude of contexts: companies, learning institutions such as universities, colleges or training organizations.
What do I need to create an online course with WordPress?
First and foremost, to enable Internet users to access your courses on the web, you’ll need a domain name, like “meilleurcoursenligne.fr” for example.
You’ll also need WordPress hosting, fast and secure enough to welcome your visitors in the best possible conditions. We recommend that you turn to specialized WordPress hosting services for the best possible technical setup.
You’ll still need an eLearning plugin (our LMS module, as explained above).
And of course, you’ll need to develop your course content, and make it visible to your future audience with webmarketing actions…
What advantages does WordPress offer over existing course platforms?
You might ask, why bother starting from 0 and setting up a new website, when there are already plenty of platforms ready to host my courses?
Offering a course from WordPress will give you total freedom over the remuneration model you want to adopt, unlike platforms that have their own model.
What’s more, the costs involved will be much lower, since getting started with WordPress can be done with very little money. The trade-off is time spent…
If you pay close enough attention over time, you’ll probably be able to keep your expenses under control, thanks to a multitude of free or very affordable resources.
WordPress is constantly evolving, and if you can make it stick with what it offers natively (by letting go of customizations that are too advanced, or even not very useful), then you’ll be surprised at what you can build for your courses.
Website design has become increasingly accessible to non-technical users.
There’s an ever-increasing number of resources available to help you with this task, from WP tools to courses, tutorials and more. A whole panoply that didn’t exist just a few years ago, making this type of undertaking far more perilous… As WordPress continues to develop and improve, you won’t be taking any great risks by relying on it.
Of course, platforms such as Tuto.com, Udemy, Skillshare… offer advantages such as the reliability and security of their infrastructure, and the payment and refund options already available.
From the outset, they offer traffic that you won’t have to painstakingly build up as you would with a new project. And you won’t have to get to grips with a large number of digital tools. In short, a lot of comfort, but obviously limits to what you can do… You’ll be up against strong competition and, ultimately, your entire production will belong in part to the platform, so your business is likely to be called into question at any moment… think twice before you launch!
Plugins to build your LMS
LearnDash
LearnDash is an excellent option for anyone wishing to create educational content and sell it via an online course. It’s easy to use and quite flexible, allowing a great deal of customization.
LearnDash is a very popular LMS plugin. It was one of the very first to be made available for WordPress. It boasts many advanced features, such as connection with third-party applications: MailChimp, WoosCommerce, Slack, and many more…
Learndash is regularly updated to keep pace with developments in the eLearning market. A wealth of documentation is available on their site to help you every step of the way. And in the most critical cases, you’ll have easy access to their support, since it’s a premium plugin.
MemberPress
MemberPress is a plugin for creating members’ areas. All-in-one and also extremely popular, it lets you accept payments, sell courses and control who sees your content. Its ease of use is also a big plus for creating an online course space.
MemberPress comes with a Course Add-On (an extension) that lets you easily transform it into an LMS.
So you can easily create and maintain an online course and learning experiences of all kinds. Simply use drag & drop to build your program, add lessons, videos and interactive elements, then share them with your community.
LearnPress
LearnPress is another full-featured WordPress LMS plugin. It’s one of the best WordPress LMS plugins that can be used to easily create and sell online courses.
You can create a course program with lessons and quizzes included that is managed with an easy-to-use interface for users. With this WordPress LMS plugin, you now have a chance to quickly and easily create education, online school, online course websites without any coding knowledge required.
The fact that it’s free and offers such a high level of value is a great advantage. The plugin works well with a premium theme, so keep that in mind. The plugin is free, but a premium theme might be useful for better rendering, like Eduma. It also offers paid addons for further use and monetization of your online courses.
Skillate
Skillate is an excellent modern LMS, ideal for teachers who want to create online courses quickly and easily. The platform is particularly suited to courses on mobile devices, giving it a more app-like feel, with a multi-instructor portal, teacher profiles, course evaluations and more.
You can keep an eye on your LMS activity with statistics and reports, including a countdown of offers so potential students can take advantage of discounts and special deals. Skillate doesn’t offer a lifetime membership. But even the free version comes with support to get you up and running in no time.
Conclusion
We’ve presented the most popular solutions for setting up your next WordPress course.
To sum up, LearnDash is probably the most advanced eLearning solution. It’s reliable and complete, backed by a team of experienced developers.
MembPress is also an excellent alternative, less course-oriented since it’s basically a generalist member space plugin, boosted by its course Add-On.
LearnPress offers a freemium alternative that’s worth exploring, depending on the complexity of your project.
Finally, Skillate is perfectly suited to a mobile-oriented use of courses.
Which WordPress extension do you use for your eLearning space?
